Menace of the Legion
by authors
Summary: This is based on my son's idea of what the Superfriends should have been like, as well as my version of how Batman and Nightwing got back together. They save the JLA from the Legion of Doom.


Speedster Studios, in collaboration with Pookie Productions, present: 

A Pauline "Nurseypie" Kelly presentation:

Batman and Nightwing in:

 Chapter One 

" Look into my eyes, you will see. What you mean to me..." Bryan Adams

    "Mind telling me why I'm being held here?" Batman grumbled. He was sitting in a small room in the Justice League HQ that was furnished only by two chairs. The only other occupant of the room was Wally West, aka The Flash, who had without warning grabbed Batman from the Batcave and whisked him over here before the Dark Knight could draw a breath.

    "Hey, big guy, I'm not holding you. See?" He showed Batman his two hands, "I'm just waiting for Supes to come back. Oh, there he is! What kept ya? Did you stop by the house and lay a liplock on the wife?"

   Superman walked into the room with Dick Grayson in tow."Ok, Smart Guy, time to exit the room," he replied, motioning Dick to sit down in the unoccupied chair opposite Batman, who nodded curtly at his ward.

   "Aww, man! I wanna watch the fireworks!" Flash protested. Superman glared at him."Oh! Oh, you mean, leave the ROOM! Well, heh heh, why didn't you say so!" Flash said nervously, and then quickly left the room.

    Superman locked the door behind Flash, then turned to look at the two men he considered his brother and nephew. "Okay you two, this has been going on too long! I am sick and tired of watching you two destroy each other when you know too well how much you love each other, and how each of you would be lost without the other! Now for once you two are going to sit there and actually TALK to each other! "

   "So not only did you kick me out of the JLA, you're keeping us prisoner? Is that it?" Batman asked with a glare.

   "That's right, brother!" Superman glared back. Batman's glare can make the most hardened criminal soil himself, but it does not deter an angry Superman, "The entire JLA is right outside guarding this room, which is soundproof, so we have complete privacy, and you can leave your emotional blockade outside, thank you!"

  "Him? Have emotions? Yeah, right," Dick scoffed.

  Superman turned on him."Yeah, that's EXACTLY right, Dick! Contrary to what he may lead you to believe, Bruce DOES have emotions! He CAN feel, his heart CAN break, and he can bleed! How the blazes do you think he'd feel if he saw you today, on that building?" He looked at Batman, who looked questioningly at him, "That's right, Bruce! This young man was in the midst of a quad somersault off the Sears Tower because he's been rejected by everyone he's loved; his friends, his girlfriend, AND his father! You had him thinking, no, convinced that you hate him!"

"He DOES hate me. And he told me himself he'll never be my father," commented Dick.

" Dick's not my son. And he's free to choose his own path," said Batman.

"Oh will you PLEASE quit lying to yourselves!" Superman replied, "This is exactly why I've brought you here! Both of you told me entirely different stories! Dick, you've never tired of telling me how you put Batman on a high pedestal. You even threatened to kick the entire JLA's butts for voting him out! And Bruce! You're always bragging about Dick and how proud you are of him!"

   Dick looked at Superman, not believing his own ears."H-he said he's proud of me? Bruce? Is this true?" he asked in surprise.

  "Yes I have. Many times," Batman mumbled into his chest.

 "Louder, Batman. I'm the one with super-hearing in this room, not Dick."

"I said **yes!!" Batman replied, "There! You happy?"**

"Satisfied, actually," said the Man of Steel.

"Well, if you're so proud of me, then why did you push me away? Why did you replace me so quickly with Jason, whom you were soo willing to give everything to adopt while leaving me out in the cold? Me, whom you've known longer than my own parents, while you didn't even KNOW Jason?" Dick accused, his eyes brimming with tears that threatened to spill out, "Do you have ANY idea how I felt when you fired me as Robin, then replaced me with some hot-headed punk? Or when you got hurt by Bane and had Jean-Paul, ANOTHER perfect stranger, take over as Batman? Do you even CARE?" Dick took a sobbing breath, fighting a losing battle to hold back his tears, "My gosh, Bruce, you act as if you hate me. Like you wish that I had died along with my parents that night. Right now I wish I **did!" He put his face into his hands, finally giving in to his tears.**

   Batman's face softened, remorse filling him as he realized how he had hurt Dick. He gently lifted Dick's chin to where they faced each other. "Dick, don't ever say that. As angry as I've been with you at times, I've never regretted taking you into my home and raising you," He took a deep breath, knowing how hard it is for him to reveal his true feelings. To the Demon's realm with it, he thought. Clark's right! He said to leave my emotional blockade at the door. And by golly I will! " Dick, there were times when I did hate you, but not for the reason you think." Dick opened his mouth to speak, but one look from Superman made him shut it." It's because, Dick, you were the only one to ever get through to my heart. When my parents were killed, I put a block of cement around my heart, vowing to never let anyone get close to me, so I can't feel any pain if they get taken away. Not even Alfred was able to break through that cement wall. But you, my little Robin," he removed his cowl and took Dick's hand into his, "You managed to single-handedly tear through that wall and build a permanent nest in my heart. Clark's right, I did lie to myself when I said you're not my son. I thought if I pushed you away from the start, seeing you as merely my partner, I'd keep you from coming near. But no, you became even closer to me, to the point where you became my son in my heart. I thought of as my son so thoroughly that it never occurred to me to put it on paper. 

   "When I fired you, I did it because I came so close to losing you like I did my parents, with a bullet. I thought that keeping you from being Robin would keep you safe. I started then to resent the fact that you broke through my cement wall, that I actually LOVED you like a son! I tried to rebuild that cement wall around my heart by deluding myself to thinking I fired you for being careless. I thought by taking in Jason I could reinforce that wall with titanium steel, thinking that if I took in another partner I'd forget all about you. I shut you out to 'protect' myself. I failed miserably on all counts. 

       When I worked with Jason, all I ever did was compare the poor guy to you, and he came up short all the time. When he died, the first thought on my mind was 'my gosh, this could've been Dick'. While I was saddened by his senseless murder, I found myself thanking God over and over that He didn't take my son. Meaning you. And I didn't want you to be Batman while I was hurt because I was so afraid that you'd get hurt or even killed, and I wouldn't be able to help you.

   "Dick, in my heart and soul, you've ALWAYS been my son, from the moment I first held you tight in my arms to chase away your nightmares on your first night at Wayne Manor," It was Batman's turn to fight back his tears," but I was so blind and selfish I never thought that by trying to wall up my heart, I was breaking yours. My own precious son," He bent his head, holding Dick's hand tightly to repress his tears, only to feeling them tumbling down his face like a raging river." Gosh, Dick, I love you so d*** much! And I am so, so sorry for all those times I hurt you."

  Dick looked at him, hardly believing his own ears. He realized Bruce was for once speaking from the bottom of his heart. "So am I, Bruce, and I love you, too. A lot. I always have, and I always will," he whispered, fresh tears welling up in his eyes. As one, they both stood up and embraced each other tightly, sobbing uncontrollably into each other's shoulder.

   Superman smiled at the scene, and content with his handiwork, quietly left the room and shut the door behind him. He went to the main control room where the others waited.  

  "So what happened? Did they kill each other? Did they attack YOU? Can I see the scars?" asked Wally as he approached him and examined his arms.

  "Clark, are you sure it was a good idea to leave them alone?" asked Wonder Woman worriedly, " You know more than we do about their tempers, they're liable to kill each other in there!"

  Wally suddenly became concerned and went immediately to the room. The others followed. "What's going on, Wally?" whispered the Amazing Amazon, "What do you see?"

  Wally looked back from the doorway where he was peeking through the cracked opening. "Something I never would've believed," he whispered back. He backed up so Diana can look, and she nearly fainted at the sight: the Darknight Detective, the grim Masked Manhunter whose Voice turns criminals to quivering globs of Jell-O, is stroking Dick's hair and kissing his forehead, hugging him tightly like a father would his son.

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                                                    Chapter Two    

"Welcome to the jungle! We've got fun and games…" Guns & Roses

      In an abandoned farmhouse deep in the woods of New Jersey, a rogue's gallery of supervillians gathered to a meeting of The Legion of Doom, consisting of Blockbuster II, Joker, Parasite, Sinestro, Cheeta, and Captain Cold. Blockbuster, the leader of the group, called the meeting to order. After Sinestro came back with their order from Dairy Queen, Blockbuster began, "In case you're all wondering, I've been appointed by a certain 'businessman' to take his place as chairman of this legion."

  "Right. In other words, ol' Luthor didn't want to muck up his hands, the big wuss!" commented Captain Cold. The others muttered in agreement, but then they all also realized the consequences of telling Luthor this little tidbit to his face.

  "Be that as it may," Blockbuster continued," Rumor has it the JLA has a little inner turmoil going on. They even kicked out one of their own recently. I say this makes it the right time to tear the JLA apart and rip those heroes to shreds!"

  "I've heard about that," replied Sinestro," It was Batman, wasn't it? It's about time. I mean, he's got no powers anyway, the worthless idiot."

   The Joker leaped out of his chair and grabbed Sinestro by the front of his suit. "Don't EVER talk about him like that again!" he growled menacingly into his face.

  "Sit back down, Joker," said Blockbuster. The Joker glared at Sinestro, then did as he was told.

"What'sss the matter, Joker?" asked Cheeta,"I thought you hated Batman!"

"I do! But I'm the ONLY one who's allowed to dis him!" Joker replied.

Blockbuster sighed heavily," Now that we've got that settled, let's get on with this. While exploring this old house, I came upon a secret entrance that led to an abandoned amusement park north of here. Between these two spots," he paused as he punched into his laptop and produced a map that projected itself onto a wall nearby," is an area that was used by Arcade."

  "I've heard of him," Parasite commented," He was a rich hit man who killed his victims using game-like themes."

  "Game –like themes? You mean like in an amusement park?" Joker piped in. Parasite nodded. "Man after my own heart!" Joker said with a giggle. He made a mental note on the subject for later.

    "This area was used by Arcade for his deathtraps," Blockbuster continued, "In case you're wondering, Arcade was 'persuaded' to sell this area to my 'associates', which is how I came across it. Anyway, my plan is this: Joker and Sinestro will set up the amusement park and the middle area. The rest of you will lead the JLA here and down to the traps. Lure them separately so they won't get wise to us. I will stir up some activity in Bludhaven and Gotham to keep the Bat and his Pajama Party busy."

   "You're giving li'l ol' me the amusement park?" Joker asked gleefully," Oh thank you, Blocky! I love you man! I kiss your feet!" He made wet kissing noises at Blockbuster's feet," I kiss your hand!" he placed slobbery kisses on his hands," I kiss your face!"

  "Don't even consider it," Blockbuster growled dangerously. Joker smiled extra widely and backed away toward the door while holding his exaggerated smile and waving his fingers.  
   

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                                                          Chapter 3

"I will protect you from those around you. I'm right here…" Phil Collins

      Dick walked wearily up to the front door of his apartment building. It had been a long hard day on police patrol, and he was looking forward to a long inspection of his inner eyelids before his Night (wing) shift. 

     As he opened the door, he was immediately blocked by Clancy, his landlady, "Not another step do you take, Richard Grayson, until you've tasted this!" she announced with a smile and a spoon aimed for his mouth. Dick tried to ask what it was, but the spoon found its way into his mouth as soon as he opened it. The contents were very good, and Dick told her so with a grin and a thumbs-up sign.

   "I knew you'd like it!" she said delightedly, "It's haggis, a secret recipe from me grandmother," She handed him a bowl, "Here you go! Now take it upstairs and enjoy!" She kissed his cheek and went into her apartment. Blushing, Dick went up to his apartment with the bowl. 

   Setting the bowl down on his kitchen counter, Dick took another few bites of the haggis and put it in the fridge. After a long, hot shower, he flopped onto his bed and was just about to close his eyes when he saw the flashing red light on his PC that indicated someone was summoning him via special comlink. "Expletive DELETED!!" he yelled in annoyance as he turned on the link, "Grayson here, what you do want?" he grumbled.

   "Glad to see you too, Short Pants!" a female voiced replied sarcastically. Dick looked at the monitor and immediately smiled apologetically. "Oh, it's YOU, Babs! Uh, hi, what's up? Umm, sorry, I was a little tired…" he explained.

    "Okay, I'll let it go for now. I hate to bother your nap, but I can't get the JLA members anywhere, and it's just not like them! Plus Blockbuster's gangs are really showing themselves!" she explained.

  "Yeah, I know about Blockbuster. Amy and I've been busting his gangs here all day. That's why I'm so wiped right now," Dick replied. Babs, aka Oracle, was about to reply when a tiny Sonic the Hedgehog spun wildly around Barbara Gordon's picture, cutting it off like a buzz saw. In its place was a smiling Robin, aka Tim Drake, who waved at him.

   "Hey there, bro! What do you know?" he said cheerfully.

   "You just cut off my picture show!" replied Dick, frowning.

   "Oh I did? Sorry, but it's a little important," said Robin, " Did Oracle tell you about the JLA and Blockbuster?"

   "Yeah, she just did when…" A big black-gloved hand suddenly pushed the entire screen, and Dick found himself looking straight into the face of fatherhood.

   "BATMAN??? Whoa, this IS important!" exclaimed Dick.

   "You better believe it is, son," replied the Dark Knight, "We have reason to believe that Blockbuster's using this increased crime activity to hide something. Something that involves the JLA and the Legion of Doom."

   "I figured Blockbuster's covering something up, but I thought Lex Luthor's in charge of the legion." Replied the Dark Squire.

   Batman's image was suddenly kicked away by a large handicap symbol that was pulling along Barbara's image until it completely replaced him.

 " Lex put Blockbuster in charge of the legion to keep his hands 'clean'," Barbara explained, "And the last I heard of the JLA, they were each following a lead from a legion member. For instance, Wonder Woman heard that Cheeta was going to pollute a reservoir in the New Jersey Pines with a toxin. And J'onn J'onnzz was investigating a terrorist threat from Parasite." Suddenly, Dick heard a "FINAL FLASH!" as a small Vegeta figure blasted Babs' picture away, then a small Goten and Trunks pulled Robin into place.

  "Hey, Dick, it's me again!" Robin waved," Batman and I kicked butt here with Blockbuster's gangs, but now old Blocky's looking for YOU, saying he'll make us watch him tear you apart. Man, this guy HATES you! Did you moon him or something?" Dick grinned at the idea, "Anyhow, Bat's really worried about you! He threatened to tear out Blocky's lungs and feed it to him if he goes NEAR Bludhaven!"

  "Well, tell him to quit worrying, because…" Once again a black-gloved hand forcefully shoved Robin's picture aside.

   "Dick, I'm in the Batwing," said the Voice, "Stay put until I get there. And you're my son, it's my job to worry about you. Deal with it!"

   Dick grinned, " I'll try to, Batman," He yawned and laid down on his bed, "Wake me up when you get here, would you, please?" He closed his eyes.

   Batman looked at his sleeping son on the monitor. Sorry, Dick, he thought, you need your rest. You don't get enough sleep as it is. And I'm a bad father for not practicing what I preach, he concluded with a smirk as he landed his Batwing on Bludhaven's tallest rooftop.

                                                                                                                                                                          Dick woke up, startled. Whoa! What time is it, he wondered. He looked at his alarm clock, shocked. Muttering an expletive involving a bodily function, he turned on his comlink and summoned Oracle, "Babs, do you know what time it is??" he asked in bewilderment.

      "What's the matter, Hunk Wonder, you break another clock?" asked a sleepy Oracle, " It's 2:15 AM. Why?"

      Dick put his forehead in his hand. " I should've known better!" he replied, " I asked Batman to wake me up when he got here! And I KNOW he didn't crash on the way, or Robin would've told me!"

   " Did you leave the window open for him?"

  "Of course I did!"

  Oracle smiled. " Aww, I know what happened. Batman went in, saw how cute you were sleeping like that, got filled with fatherly love and tucked you in and kissed you goodnight before leaving to patrol for you!"

  " Babs, have you been drinking? Do you know who you're talking abou…" Before Dick could finish, Oracle replayed her security camera of his room and his jaw dropped as he saw exactly what she described.

   "Pick your jaw off the floor, Short Pants, something's come up," Oracle became serious, " I just got word from Robin that Batman hasn't reported in for the past hour. From last he heard, Batman was investigating an old bunker by the Bay St. waterfront."

   "Not good," replied Dick as he got dressed for his Night (wing) work, " That's where I last fought Blockbuster! He likes that place, very convenient for his 'waste disposal'! I'm going over there."

   "I'll let Tim know. Be careful. Oracle out" She blew him a kiss before signing off. Dick blew one back and went off into the night.

                                                      Chapter Four

                                    "We're creatures of the night…"  KISS

     " I ought to kill you right now," Blockbuster snarled. He had gotten the drop on Batman as he was checking some files, and now had him chained to a wall in his bunker. He smiled wickedly, " but first I'll give you the pleasure of watching me kill Nightwing slowly before your eyes!"

    " Harm him and I'll feed you your lungs," replied Batman dangerously, using the Voice.

   "We'll see about that," he replied. The Voice unnerved him momentarily, knowing that Batman could well do that if he were free. **If he were free.**

   "Hey, Blocky! Looking for me?" asked Nightwing with a big smile. "Your goons upstairs looked tired, so I put them to 'sleep'. Past their bedtime, you know."

  " 'Blocky'? You won't be so flippant when I break your bones!" snarled Blockbuster. He charged after Nightwing, intent on carrying out his threat, only to run into a wall where his quarry was moments ago.

   "Typical Blocky, all bulk and no grace," tsked Nightwing as he dodged another attack, "Maybe if you took dancing lessons," he continued, ducking a punch that went into a wall, " Naw, nothing'll help a klutz like you," he went on, rolling beneath a kick, " Ooh, nasty hole!" he remarked at his attacker's handiwork.

   Blockbuster was getting frustrated at the taunting crimefighter, until he saw his chance. He grabbed Nightwing's ankle as he leaped to dodge another kick and threw him hard into the floor. Batman uttered a silent 'no' as his face registered fear for his son.

  "Where's your clever lines now, Pajama Boy?" he asked with a laugh.

  Nightwing won his struggle to regain his breath, ignoring the pain in his body. "Right HERE!" he yelled as he punched with all his might between Blockbuster's legs.

  With a very un-Blockbuster like yelp, he crumpled to his knees, guarding his manhood that he was sure got punched into his heart. Nightwing rolled out of the way, jumped onto the back of his neck, and boxed his ears. Enraged, Blockbuster reached back, grabbed Nightwing by his side and threw him like a rag doll across the room. Nightwing lay motionless on the floor.

   Something in Batman's mind snapped as a red fog engulfed his sight. He was unaware of what happened next until a faraway voice told him to stop. When the fog lifted, he found himself sitting on an unconscious Blockbuster's chest with his fists on the behemoth's sternum. Or they were, until a pair of blue-clad arms gently pulled them away. "Come on, Batman, he's had enough," the voice continued, "Remember your vow."

   Fick my vow, he tried to kill my son, his mind screamed, but he got off, and faced the voice's owner, Superman. "I'm sorry. I don't know what caused me to snap," said the Caped Crusader.

  Superman smiled, "I do. Your love for your son," he put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "It's all right, I'd have done the same for my wife."

  "OMG! Nightwing! Is he…" Batman looked worriedly across the room where Nightwing was being helped up by Robin. He ran to his side, " Are you all right?" he asked, checking him carefully.

  "Yeah, just a little sore," replied Nightwing.

  " Geez, Batman, remind me not to tick you off!" exclaimed Robin, " I brought  Supes for backup, but I see now you didn't need it! Blocky sure did, though!"

  "What DID happen?" asked Batman, " The last thing I remember was seeing that dung spawn throw Nightwing across the room."

  "I saw the whole thing, Batman!" replied Robin excitedly, " You let out a yell like a raging demon and tore your chains apart! And then you FLEW at him! You knocked him on his back and started pounding his chest like you really WERE gonna tear out his lungs!"

  "Well, I did say I was going to, didn't I?" he replied with a smirk.

  "Now that you've got things wrapped up here, I'll take the trash out for you," Superman offered  as he hoisted Blockbuster over his shoulder. He flew out the window toward the nearby prison.

   "So, what did you find before you were rudely interrupted?" asked Robin.

   "And why didn't you wake me up?" demanded Nightwing.

   "To answer your questions in reverse order," replied the Dark Knight, " You needed your rest, and this," He showed them some blueprints of the abandoned park, old house, and the underground sections in between.

   "Cool! I've heard about this place!" exclaimed Robin, " When I was training in New York, Spiderman told me all about Arcade's old haunt! I can't wait to see it!"

   "Oh yes you can, and you will NOT go there!" replied Nightwing.

   "Nightwing's right, Robin. It's way too dangerous," Batman added, "Besides, I need you to cover Gotham in case any more crooks decide to show themselves."

   "But …" his protest was cut short by the Look, " Give me that look all you want, but I'm going to patrol Gotham! And that's final!" Robin turned and walked away. " No fair. Nightwing gets hurt, but I**'M  the one that gets sent home!" he grumbled.**

   "You know, I really should send you home too, Nightwing. That was quite a beating you took," Batman commented.

  "What? Oh, please! You know I've been through worse," Nightwing argued, "Besides, from the layout of these blueprints, it'll take the both of us to solve this case."

  Batman studied the blueprints. "You're right, we can cover more ground and even corner the Legion of Doom. All right then, you take the amusement park, and I'll take the farmhouse and the underground base. Call if you need me. And stay above ground." Leaving no room for Nightwing to argue, the Masked Manhunter left the bunker.

   "Yes, Your Overprotectiveness!" muttered Nightwing. As he left the bunker, he could've sworn he heard someone say, "I heard that!"

                                                         Chapter Five  

                         " I see a red door and I want it painted black…" Mick Jagger

                 Batman quietly searched the old farmhouse, noting with satisfaction the remnants of the Legion of Doom's meeting, namely such wall graffiti as  SINESTRO RULES- GREEN LANTERN DROOLS  and  DIE ROBIN DIE! TWICE!  captioning a crude drawing of  Robin with a big knife stuck in his chest. He bristled at the last one, instantly regretting  his decision to have Nightwing case the amusement park. No, he thought, Dick'll be fine, he's too smart to take foolish risks. He trusts Nightwing, but his fatherly worry refuses to stop nagging him. Shaking his head to clear it, Batman went to the basement and found a loose stone that  opened a doorway leading to a corridor. He followed it, making himself one with the shadows.

      Wonder Woman struggled with her chains that held her against a shooting gallery bullseye. "Cheeta, you cowardly cat, why don't you unchain me so we can have a rematch that you WON'T forget!" she snarled.

   "Now dearie, you know I hate catfights," Cheeta purred in amusement, caressing a  .357 Magnum, " It's not my fault you're such a sore loser, just because it takes a lady like me to chain you so you're just an ordinary person sans strength. Besides, it's more fun this way."

  "You may be female, but you're NO lady!" said a deep voice.

  Cheeta looked around. "What the…" she felt a sharp pain in her hand as an object knocked away her weapon. Another dark object flew toward Wonder Woman, and a darker figure landed in front of Cheeta. "Batman!" she hissed liked an angry cat.

   "What is it with you criminals and unfair fights? Are you that insecure?" he asked in the Voice.

   "Don't lecture me, Batman!" she replied, " You won't touch me, you have too much honor to hit a woman."

   " Good thing I don't!" cried Wonder Woman as she swiftly wrapped her chain around Cheeta which immediately immobilized her. "Thanks, Batman. I'll take it from he…" she looked around, not surprised that he left. Modest guy didn't even wait for a thank you, she thought in amusement.

      "I'm conducting a little experiment, Flash!" Captain Cold chuckled. Flash was in a dunk tank hip –deep in ice cubes which in turn was covered with cold water that came up to the Scarlet Speedster's neck. "As you can see, there's room for me to fill the tank over your head. Well, you know how some creatures are faster in the water than on land, and vice versa. Well, I'm gonna see if this applies to YOU!"

  "You know, I never figured you out to be a scientist," remarked Flash.

  "How do you think I got this way? Tell you what- ask your uncle when you cross over!" Captain Cold laughed as he filled the tank to the top. He stood back to admire his work. "Now to watch the fun!" he commented. He suddenly felt  severe pain as a pair of escrima sticks assaulted his noggin, and the ground rushed up to greet him.

"Better idea. How about watching the stars?" Nightwing asked the prone figure.

   Wally vibrated his body like his late uncle the first Flash taught him, but quickly found himself running out of air. He then got the sensation of being pulled out by a familiar pair of hands that eased him onto a bench.

  "You warmed up, pal, or do I need to show you  a picture of Miss August?" quipped his former leader from their Teen Titans days.

  "Miss August is good," he replied with a wide smile. 

  "Perv," Nightwing playfully punched his shoulder.

 "Hey, it was YOUR idea!"Flash protested.

 "Oh, go take out your garbage, litterbug," Nightwing teased.

 Flash picked up his defeated foe, playfully sticking his tongue out at Nightwing. "Back at you, Red Tights!" said Nightwing.

  I'll get you later, Short Pants, thought Wally as he walked away.

                 Green Lantern stood in a maze full of funhouse-style mirrors. Sinestro's laughter echoed in the room.

       "Don't you just love these mirrored mazes?" asked Sinestro.

       "Yeah, they're real cool," agreed the Emerald Guardian, "Why don't you show yourself so we can admire them together?"

     "Naw, the game I'm playing's more fun! See, you and I'll move around, and you gotta get me before I can zap you!" A yellow ray bounced off a mirror and hit Green Lantern in the side, causing red-hot agony. "Gee, I like this game already!" Sinestro called triumphantly.

   "Then you won't mind if I play too!" said a third voice. The Dark Knight appeared in the mirrors around Sinestro. Angered by Batman's intrusion, Sinestro punched his new foe, only to hit a mirror instead. He finally came up to one mirror and  yelled, "Quit hiding and fight, Guano- Face!"

    "Ok," A steel-like fist struck Sinestro's face hard. " And the name's Batman!"  "And you're in for jail time AND 84 years bad luck!" added Green Lantern. He sported a green bandage on his side as he walked to his fallen foe and his comerade, "I know, I counted 12 crashes! Thanks, B-Man!" He patted Batman on the shoulder.

   "No problem, GL," he replied. He tensed when he heard someone coming toward them. A tall, green alien with a  blue flowing cape was carrying a purple figure over his shoulder. "Hello, J'onn," greeted Batman as he relaxed, " I see you've defeated your foe."

   "Yes, Batman," replied the serious alien, " The fool thought to drain my power, not realizing the strain of my Martian metabolism on his system. He 'burned out', as you humans would say," His piercing eyes looked straight into Batman's, then he put a gentle hand on his shoulder, "My friend, your son is in great danger. The one called Joker has blown up the end of the corridor leading to the amusement park. He knows you are here, and has forsaken his allies to hunt him down. Go to your son's side, Batman, while we carry our burdens to justice." 

   "Save your breath, man, he's already left," remarked Green Lantern.

  "I know," said J'onn J'onnz calmly.

                                                            Chapter Six

            "You're in the Psycho Circus. And I say welcome to the show!" KISS

           "Well, well, and well! If it isn't Wing-nut!" giggled the Clown Prince of Crime as he leaped in front of Nightwing and bowed to him.

        "Evening, Joker, nice night," replied Nightwing, " Out for a walk, or just looking for another little boy terrorize, or a girl to cripple? That seems to be in your veins."

       "Very droll, Wingsie, but I make the jokes here, see?" Joker said in his imitation of a gangster.

      "Your jokes are lame, Joksie, just like your taste in clothes," Nightwing commented.

     "You should talk, walking in your jammies!" retorted the angered Joker, "How would you like a knuckle  sandwich?"

       Nightwing went into a fighting stance, " Come on, then, Pasty! Let's do it," he challenged, "Let's see if you got the stones to fight a **man for a change!" **

     "You may have grown up, but to me you'll always be Robin the Boy Hostage!" Joker  retaliated. He threw an uppercut at Nightwing, who easily blocked it and served him a knuckle sandwich square in the face. Joker fell in his back, then rolled onto his belly. Grabbing a handful of dirt, he threw it at Nightwing, who covered his eyes to protect them. Joker took this advantage and punched him in the stomach using his full weight. Nightwing fell gasping for air, still feeling his injuries from his battle with Blockbuster. AS he coughed up some blood and struggled to get up, the Joker kicked him hard in the ribs. As Nightwing went down, the Joker stood laughing at him. Nightwing smiled back as he threw a handful of dirt at the Joker. 

    "My turn," said Nightwing as he kicked Joker in the neck and chest in fast succession, "This is for getting me fired as Robin!" he yelled as he punched Joker's face, "This is for crippling Barbara!" He kicked Joker's back, "This is for my dad!" He kicked for his face, but the Joker grabbed his ankle and bit his calf hard. Nightwing went down, clutching his calf. 

     Joker rolled away and reached into his coat, pulling out a large pistol and aiming it at Nightwing, who managed to get up on one knee. "Time to die, little bird," said the Joker, and pulled the trigger.

    Nightwing grabbed at the air in one swift movement as if to catch the bullet, then twisted into the ground, where he lay motionless.

                                                   Chapter Seven

   "Living in a world of fools, bringing us down, when they all should let us be…" Bee Gees

            Batman raced on foot to the amusement park, trying not to remember a certain time in the Mideast when he came too late for another partner. No, this is way different, he thought. This is my son in danger! My precious treasure, worth more to me than twice my fortune! He then prayed fervently that he'll find his son alive.

       When he arrived at the park, he heard a shot followed by insane laughter. He decided then that if he finds Dick dead, all bets are off. He'll break Joker in half literally, forget his vow! The Joker faced Batman, smiling wildly, but Batman was immediately blocked by the Martian Manhunter, who grabbed the Joker's neck, instantly cutting off his air.

    "Go to your son, he needs you," he said gently.

    Batman saw Nightwing lying on the ground, and immediately rushed to his side. Turning him gently, he saw blood on the ground. No! No, please, Dick, not you too,he thought . His body shook with sobs as he held Nightwing tightly against his chest.

   "B-Batman? Can we go home now?" asked a quiet voice into his ear. Batman looked down and saw his son's blue eyes look back at him. Nightwing's hand fell from his chest to the ground, his hand opening to reveal a bullet that he had caught in midair. Nightwing grinned, "Like father like son, huh, Dad?" he said weakly, grinning.

  Batman hugged him again, "You got that right, son!" He gently lifted him into his arms and carried him away.

    J'onn J'onnz looked at the scene. Don't worry, my friend, he thought. I will not reveal this moment, where your dark image went temporarily down the toilet.

                                                      EPILOGUE

          Flash and Nightwing sat on top of  the Sears Tower roof, admiring the view. Wally turned to his friend and former leader, thinking of the past events. "Tell me, Dick. Were you really going to jump to your death from here?" he asked.

      "What? What gives you… oh that," replied Nightwing, remembering Superman's interference, "Clark just jumped to conclusions, Wally. I was feeling down that day, and to clear my head, I was trying to pull a little stunt. See that radio tower?" He pointed to a nearby building, "I was  going to do a quad somersault to it, then slide down to the roof. Just for the fun of it."

     Wally looked at the building, then shook his head. "No way, man. Can't do it. You'll either catch the ledge, or your dad will stop you," he commented.

     "Is that a challenge?" asked Dick, "All right then, pal, I'll take it!" He put out his hand. "Loser buys the winner lunch!"

    Flash took his hand. "Deal! I hope your credit card's paid up!" He ran down to the roof of the targeted building. He watched as Nigtwing struck a pose on the ledge, then made his jump.

   He counted the somersaults; One, two, three… Suddenly, a dark shadow flew into Nightwing, engulfing him. The shadow landed on the opposite side of the roof Wally was on, revealing the forms of Nightwing and an irate Dark Knight. Wally crept closer to hear.

  "…doing? You could've been killed!" demanded Batman.

  "Something I've been doing since I was four!" argued  a peeved Nightwing.

 "Oh really? And so your parents allowed you to jump off  buildings?"

 "Well, no."

  "Then what makes you think I will?"

  "You taught me to!"

"I didn't teach you to take foolish risks!" said Batman in the Voice, "You were involved in some sick bet, weren't you?" He turned in Wally's direction, "Going somewhere, West?"

   Flash, who was sneaking away, suddenly looked at Batman like a cornered mouse. My gosh, he's gonna kill me, he thought. Only if he catches me, though! He sped down and out of the building.

   Batman glared at his son. "We'll talk later," he said in an I'm not through with you voice. He shot out a line and went in the Flash's direction.

  Nightwing sat on the ledge, angry at Batman's overprotectiveness  but glad that he cared enough to be so.

                                              CREDITS

                                         ************

Batman/ Bruce Wayne – Adam West  

Nightwing/ Dick Grayson – Burt Ward

Robin/ Tim Drake – Gregory Kelly

Barbara Gordon/ Oracle – Amy Jo Johnson

Superman /Clark Kent – Christopher Reeve

Blockbuster II – Lou Ferringo

Wonder Woman / Diana Prince – Lynda Carter

Flash/ Wally West – Johnathan Wrenn

Cheeta – Pauline Kelly

Captain Cold - Freiza

Joker – Jack Nicholson 

Parasite  - Ernie Reyes Jr

Sinestro – Jack Palance

J'onn J'onnz – Dolph Lundgren

Green Lantern/ John Stewart – Will Smith

Assistant to Mr. Kelly – Andrew Kelly

Stunts -  Ditto, Mewtwo

Fight Choreograghy – Bruce Lee, Piccolo

Makeup – Jigglypuff

Cameraman, Producer, Director, RN, Mother – Pauline Kelly

                  Soundtrack

            *************

(Everything I do) I Do It For You  by Bryan Adams

You'll Be in My Heart by Phil Collins

Welcome to the Jungle by Guns & Roses

Paint It Black by Rolling Stones

Psycho Circus by KISS

How Deep Is Your Love by Bee Gees

Creatures of the Night by KISS

      I  wish to thank the following : Mom, Dad, Palisades Park Historical Society, Cities of New York and Chicago.

                            In Memoriam

                       **************

              Michael A. Kelly

                   1956-2000

      He'd have loved this!

Disclaimer : I don't own these guys, yada yada yada

                                           THE END

August 24, 2002


End file.
